Bahrain Public Transport Company (BPTC), the new operators of the kingdom’s fully revamped public bus service, has introduced the Go Card - a pre-paid, re-usable smart card that facilitates flexible and faster travel for public transport users.
The new cards were launched to the public during a five-day campaign held at Bab Al Bahrain and BPTC was available to demonstrate its proper use and answer questions on the new routes and destinations added to the network.
The Go Card is the first smart ticketing system to be introduced in Bahrain and one in a series of new products and services to be gradually added to the new bus network.
Go Cards provide passengers with a re-usable top-up alternative to paper tickets and can be used on any route across the bus network. Go Cards are charged for the zones crossed in any complete one-way journey including connections between buses and offer a cheaper travel option to purchasing tickets for individual routes.
Go Cards are available as one-day passes or can store cash credit and can be used as per passenger needs and convenience. Go Cards need to be checked-in at the start of each journey and checked-out before exiting the bus using the special machines available on all buses.
There is an initial fee of 500Fils ($1.3) when first purchasing a Go Card and it can then be reloaded with any amount of credit up to a maximum of BD50 ($131.6). Credit is available from all bus drivers and cards can also be reloaded at all main bus terminals using the ticket vending machines or at the manned ticket offices. Special reloading machines will soon be available on every bus soon to enable top up of credit using cash notes.
GO Cards are widely obtainable and can be purchased from the bus drivers or the Ticket Vending Machines at the main bus terminals in Manama, Isa Town and Muharraq. – TradeArabia News Service
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New smart ticketing launched for Bahrain’s public transport
